


The Gift

by polyhymnia1



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Lesbian Sex, Love Triangles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-04 03:09:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6638863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polyhymnia1/pseuds/polyhymnia1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Arkadia is attacked by the Grounders and Skaikru takes refuge deep into the Dead Zone, Clarke comes up with a dangerous plan to change the tide of war.  Told from the POV of Clarke, Lexa and Raven. Also, be forewarned, story features elements of a love triangle...maybe even a love quadrangle.  And it gets dark, very dark...Most of S1 holds true, up until the finale kidnapping, because there is no Mount Weather.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Plan

Clarke knew she would likely die tomorrow. There was a chance her plan would work, but it was so small she was mentally preparing herself for death. She should probably be drinking right now, enjoying her final night on the ground, the last night of her life, but instead she sat in the sand outside her tent, staring up at the stars in the night sky. It was getting late. They would need to leave soon to make it to Polis by morning. She reluctantly pushed herself up from the ground, glancing around at their makeshift camp. It wasn't much, just a few sparsely laid out tents on the driest earth she'd ever seen. Clarke smiled ruefully at the irony of a place known as "The Dead Zone" saving the lives of her people. Or, at least what was left of them. 

She heard the crunching of the sand underneath heavy boots and turned to see her friends approaching. Finn led the pack, followed by Bellamy, Octavia, and Lincoln. 

Finn looked at her with those sad eyes that seemed to be a permanent fixture of his expression these days.

"I can't let you do this," he said. 

Clarke’s eyes glanced over the downcast faces of her friends. If they were backing out now, she didn't know if she had the strength to do this alone.

"We've had this discussion already. We’ve agreed."

Finn grasped her by the shoulders. "No one here wants you to do this. There has to be some other way."

"If you have a better idea, let's hear it."

Finn stared at her. She looked around at the others.

"Anyone?" She waited but was met with silence. "That's what I thought. We need to leave. Now."

Finn backed away from her. "I won't be a part of this. It's not right. "

He turned to the others. 

"Why won't any of you speak up?"

Bellamy cleared his throat.

"Clarke, maybe we should rethink this."

Clarke turned to him but he refused to meet her gaze, his eyes trained to the ground.

"Et tu, Brute?" Clarke replied bleakly. Bellamy was the only person she could rely on without question. If he was doubting her now, this would never work. She needed him on her side.

Bellamy finally turned his eyes up to her.

"Clarke, you know I trust you. And I don't have a better idea. But what if this doesn't work? You could be killed. "

"We're already dead if we stay here and do nothing," Clarke replied, her voice rising. "They've pushed us to the edge of the earth. There are hardly any of us left. How long do you think we can survive out here in the desert, hunted like animals?" 

Clarke waited for an answer, none was forthcoming. She turned to Raven.

"Do you have the box?"

Raven nodded. "Yes, everything is set up. I just need help bringing it out."

Clarke glanced down at Raven's leg, which had yet to completely heal from a gunshot wound despite her mother's best medical efforts. She gave a quick nod to Lincoln and Octavia and they set off with Raven to retrieve the box.

Finn stepped towards her. "Don't do this. Please..."

He turned away as his voice broke. Clarke watched him and felt a pang of grief. She didn't want to go through with this plan anymore than Finn wanted her to. But what choice did she have? The Grounders had attacked Arkadia and nearly half her people were slaughtered. What was left of them had taken refuge deep into the Dead Zone, with only the occasional hunting party venturing into the woods to bring back food. But even that was becoming more dangerous. Three hunting parties had been sent out in the last week. None had returned.

Clarke took Finn's arm and pulled him to her, hugging him tightly.

"This is all going to work out," she spoke softly in his ear. "Just trust me."

Finn held her for a moment before dropping his arms. Clarke looked behind him and saw Raven, Lincoln and Octavia approaching as they carried a long chest between them. Monty and Jasper followed them.

"Are we good to go?" Clarke asked Bellamy.

He nodded. "The horses are at the northeast corner of camp. There's no guard on duty there." 

Bellamy paused, then smiled. "Well, there is a guard but he's preoccupied at the moment, helping plan a break out."

Clarke returned his smile, grateful for his attempt to bring levity to the situation.

"What about your mother?" Bellamy asked.

Clarke looked over at the medical tent. Her mother spent most of her time there even though she had very few patients. Grounders didn't leave wounded victims. They attacked to kill.

"She doesn't suspect anything."

"You know, even if we do make it back, we're dead anyway. You're mother is going to kills us when she finds out what we've done."

Clarke shrugged. "She may punish you, but she won't have you killed for my decision. We're doing this for her too. For all of them."

The approaching group dropped the chest in the sand. She turned to Lincoln.

"Are you sure about your source?" She needed to check one final time. Her entire plan hinged on the accuracy of Lincoln's information. If he was wrong, she was dead.

Lincoln answered without hesitating, "I trust her. She was a handmaiden for the commander for years. She knows all her..." He paused searching for the right word. "....weaknesses."

Clarke released a long, slow breath, her heart lifting a bit. Maybe this would work. Maybe she could save everyone.

Lincoln continued, "I know I'm not your people Clarke but I'm concerned about you doing this just as much as everyone else. I think it's too great a sacrifice. But it’s your decision.”

Clarke stared at him pointedly. "You are my people."

She glanced around at the faces of her friends.

"You all are. This will work."

She pulled in Lincoln and Octavia for a hug. 

“You guys need to go back,” she said. “Make sure no one notices we’re missing.”

The couple nodded their understanding then headed back to the center of camp. Clarke watched them walk away. She waited until they were out of earshot before turning to Monty and Raven.

“Do we have everything?” 

“It’s all in there.” Raven pointed to the chest. “We had to make some last minute adjustments to the two-way. They’re not built to transmit over such long distances but with the repeaters I’ve set up it should work.”

Monty added, “You just have to remember to conserve the battery. We could only sneak out one backup.”

“That should be fine. I’m hoping this will be over soon.” 

Clarke embraced them both, hugging them tightly. Raven let go of her reluctantly with a look that mirrored Finn’s. Jasper stepped forward.

“Just don’t get yourself killed. I have a bottle of homemade moonshine with your name out it.”

Clarke chuckled softly and patted him on the shoulder. There was a long, uncomfortable silence and no one would meet her eyes. She took several deep breaths to steady her voice.

“Go back. I don’t want anyone to see us all meeting here and get suspicious.”

Monty and Jasper shot her one last somber look before walking away.

Raven turned to Finn.

“Be safe,” she said, raising up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.

Finn shrugged her off. 

“I don’t know if I can do this.” 

Clarke narrowed her eyes at him. 

“You can and you will. I need two people for this.”

Finn stared down, digging his boot into the sand. Clarke knew there was always a chance this could happen. That he would back out at the last minute.

“Raven, get Jasper. Tell him he’s replacing Finn.”

Finn looked at her, panicked, as if he thought his refusal would force her to abandon the plan. 

“Clarke, please…”

Clarke ignored him.

“Raven.” 

Raven seemed torn for a moment, but finally turned on her heels to retrieve Jasper.

Clarke turned to Finn, her eyes narrowed.

“This was your plan the whole time, wasn’t it? You were never going to go along with it. You were just pretending, hoping if you bailed at the last minute I’d be forced to abandon it altogether.”

Finn remained silent. It was all the answer she needed.

Bellamy cast a sympathetic look his way. “Clarke, he’s just trying to protect you. This isn’t an easy thing you’re asking us to do. If I thought I could change your mind, I would.”

“But you can’t,” Clarke’s responded. “So at this point you’re either helping me or in the way.” 

She said the words with certainty, but she felt her resolve wavering. She was afraid. And the longer she stood here having this discussion, the more she began to doubt her decision. 

Jasper came running out to them.

“I’m at your service,” he said with a ridiculously low and pompous bow.

Clarke smiled a little despite her growing uncertainty. It was now or never.

“Come on, let’s go. We’re running late now.” She turned to Finn. “If we don’t make it back, tell my mother...I forgive her.”

Clarke didn’t know how true that was, but her mother didn’t deserve to think her daughter died still hating her for what happened to her father.

Clarke mounted her horse as Bellamy and Jasper loaded the chest onto a cart attached to Bellamy’s horse. If her plan didn’t work this would be their last journey together. And, quite possibly, the last stand of Skaikru.


	2. The Delivery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I apparently got a bit happy with the relationship tags. This is definitely a Clarke and Lexa focused story (as they are POV characters) but it also has lots of Bellamy and Finn, and features story lines concerning Clarke's relationships with all three.

Lexa stood from her chair and slowly stretched her muscles. She’d fallen asleep in an awkward position and was now paying the price for it with a painful stiffness in her neck. She looked down at the sleeping figure in the bed beside her chair. The boy was getting worse. He was drifting in and out of consciousness more often. She placed her hand on his sweaty forehead. He was warmer than he had been just an hour ago. 

Lexa began pacing, her head bent in thought. There was nothing more she could do. Nyko was their best healer and he’d so far been unable to break the boy’s fever. It was up to Aden now. He had to pull himself through this sickness.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. 

“Enter,” she called out.

Her flamekeeper walked in. 

“Have you found them?” 

“No, Heda, but I believe we’re close.”

Lexa turned away from him, clenching her fists.

“Heda, you must understand, ” Titus said, approaching her. “It’s nearly impossible to track someone in the Dead Zone. And they appear to have relocated some of the mines. We lost two scouts this week.”

“Show me where.” Lexa demanded, gesturing Titus over to a table in the corner of the room. She rolled out one of the maps that showed all the known lands. Her lands. 

“Here and here,” Titus said pointing to two spots very near each other at the edge of where the Dead Zone bordered the woods.

“And where were their hunting parties discovered?”

Titus pointed to three more areas, but they were very far apart and deep into Trikru lands.

“We believe they’re intentionally scattering their hunting parties to make it harder to trace them back to their camp. And the game is scarce here,” he pointed to the edge of the woods, “so they’re being forced to travel farther to find food.”

Lexa stared at the map. Skaikru was as elusive an enemy as she'd ever fought. She was still amazed that so many of them had managed to escape the attack on Arkadia. She'd hit them with a massive force and overtaken the settlement in less than a day. But the victory had come at an unimaginable cost. 500 of her finest warriors died that day. Fathers and mothers who would never return home to their families. Skaikru may have been few in number but their technology more than made up for that. They'd rained down a hail of bullets on her forces and unleashed a torrent of bombs. Even now she could remember the acrid smell of blood and smoke. It was the second time Skaikru had taken hundreds of lives from her people. And now...she glanced back at Aden’s unconscious form. The invaders needed to be wiped out. Only then would her people experience peace again.

“I want hunting parties placed down this border for as far as our resources allow.” 

“Of course, Heda.” Titus rolled up the map then hesitated. “But do you think it’s wise to concentrate our forces on Skaikru when Azgeda--”

“Nia isn’t foolish enough to challenge me. And once we wipe out Skaikru her rallying cry will fall on deaf ears.” 

“I will relay your orders,” Titus said, bowing out of the room.

“One more thing,” Lexa called out as he opened the door. “I’m rescinding my kill order.”

Titus rushed back into the room.

“But Heda, we must abolish the threat --”

Lexa held up a hand and he fell silent.

“I need them captured not killed. The prisoners will be brought here and Gustus will extract the information we need to find their camp.”

Titus’ eyes glowed with approval, and Lexa felt a sense of warmth at having drawn his admiration.

“Skaikru has eluded us for far too long,” she said. “We need to change our tactics to find them and eliminate them.”

Titus gave her a nod of approval.

“I’ll have your orders delivered to Indra immediately.”

Lexa watched him leave before returning to her vigil at Aden’s side.

When it was time for her to attend to her duties, she called in Nyko to keep watch. But as she sat on her throne, doling out decisions to resolve the complaints and disputes of her people, all she could think about was Aden and revenge.

“Enough,” she said, standing. “Those remaining will have their grievances resolved tomorrow.”

A young woman shouted, “But we were promised an audience.”

Lexa looked coldly upon the crowd. 

“And you will have one. Tomorrow.”

Lexa sat back down onto her throne as Titus ushered the long queue out of the room. Her people had a right to be angry. She’d cut the session short. But her mind was on other things. If Aden died, she didn’t know who her likely successor would be. Aden was the only nightblood ready to take her place. The others had so much more to learn. 

“Heda,” Titus called, approaching her.

Lexa waved him off. “I’m done for the day, Titus.”

“Pardon me, Heda, but a gift has arrived...from Skaikru.”

Lexa immediately stiffened. She turned her eyes to the two guards carrying in a large chest before shooting Titus an incredulous look.

“A gift? From Skaikru?” she said, her voice disbelieving.

“Yes, Heda. It was delivered by a tradesmen who says he received it on the road into Polis. He was paid a hefty sum of furs and weapons to deliver it.”

Lexa stood and walked towards the chest, eyeing it closely as her guards set it down. It was a large chest, covered in plain, brown leather. It looked harmless, but...she stopped abruptly.

“Did anyone check it?” she asked, turning to Titus.

He cast a questioning glance at the guards. They hung their heads in silence.

“It could be a bomb, you fools!” Titus shouted. “Take it away”

The guards rushed to pick the chest back up. But in their hurry, they stumbled and it slipped from their grip, falling to the ground and popping open its lid. Lexa froze at what she saw inside.


	3. The Deal

The room fell silent as Lexa stared down at the open chest. She glanced at Titus and saw he was just as baffled as she was by this inexplicable “gift.” For inside the box, was a girl. She lie hunched on her side, her wrists bound and her head bowed. At first, Lexa thought the girl was one of her own people. A hostage taken and set free by the Skaikru as some kind of olive branch. But upon closer inspection, she noticed the girl wore clothing common among Skaikru: black pants, a thin grey shirt, and a dark jacket that was seamlessly sewn from the same cloth. It dawned on her that the girl may not be Trikru at all, but was very likely one of Skaikru’s very own people. But why would Skaikru send one of their own gift-wrapped into the hands of the enemy? Lexa could hardly comprehend the reasoning behind such a move. 

The girl made a sudden movement and Lexa stepped back, her hand hovering over the knife at her side as her guards drew their swords. The girl may have appeared bound but it could be a ruse. She wouldn’t put it pass Skaikru to raise a white flag then splatter it with blood. 

Lexa thought about just killing the girl now to end the threat before it escalated, but that thought was immediately pushed aside as the girl lifted her head and she was met with a striking pair of blue eyes. The girl was stunningly beautiful. Her golden blonde hair was worn long, cascading down her shoulders and framing her face. There was a softness about her that made Lexa want step forward and help her up. But then she remembered the girl was likely Skaikru and stopped herself.

“Help her up,” she ordered the guards.

The guards did so, pulling the girl out of the chest, and keeping a firm grasp on her arms. 

“Check her,” Lexa told the guards. They patted her down but found nothing.

“You’re Skaikru,” Lexa said, switching from trigedasleng to the tongue of the enemy. Her tone demanded an answer rather than asked a question.

The girl stared at her silently for a moment then answered firmly, “Yes.”

Lexa noted the confidence in her voice, despite being in the nest of the enemy, and was impressed.

“What’s the meaning of this,” Titus said, stepping forward.

The girl looked briefly at Titus before turning back to Lexa.

“I’ve come to make you an offer.”

“We don’t negotiate with Skaikru,” Lexa replied, her voice rock hard.

The girl continued unfazed.

“Your people made me an offer once. I didn’t accept it then. I’d like to now.”

Leza stared at her curiously.

“What offer?”

“To become a healer for your people.”

“Absolutely not,” Titus said. He turned to Lexa. “You cannot trust her. We don’t even know if she’s a real healer. And even if she were, she’s more likely to kill our injured than save them.”

Lexa studied the girl in front of her. Healers were scarce among her people. They were often shared among many villages, forced to travel long distances, and rarely present when needed. Even Nyko was stretched thin, working in both Polis and Ton DC. Lexa had heard stories of Skaikru healers who were able to cure the incurable. Anya had once told her of a Skaikru leader who was rumored to be a great healer. Lexa studied the girl in front of her, her suspicion rising.

“Who made you this offer?” she asked.

The girl paused for a moment then answered, “Anya.”

In the flash of a second, Lexa’s hand grabbed the hilt of the knife at her side and pulled it out. Her guards saw the sudden move and visibly tightened their grip on the girl.

“You’re Clarke.” 

The girl flinched when she pulled out the knife but recovered quickly. 

“Yes,” she said. “I am.”

Lexa turned to one of the guards.

“Check the chest.”

The guard let go of Clarke’s arm, while the other one moved behind her to grip both her arms. Clarke strained her neck to look back at the guard searching the chest. He pulled out a large, black backpack.

“Burn it,” Lexa ordered. She saw a flash of panic in Clarke’s eyes and wondered what was in that bag that was so important to her.

“Wait,” Lexa said. “Check it first.”

“It’s medical equipment,” Clarke quickly explained. “It’s very --”

The guard dumped the contents on the floor. 

“...fragile.”

A large first aid kit, a microscope, several flasks and petri dishes, vials of medicine, syringes, bandages, ointments and the like spilled out. The guard kneeled to rifle through the items, roughly shoving things aside and tossing others. 

“Hey!” Clarke struggled to free herself but was no match for the guard. “Be careful. You’ll break it.”

She turned and looked pleadingly at Lexa. 

“That’s enough.” Lexa told the guard. She turned to Titus. “Have the guards do a sweep of the building. Check every entrance. Any member of Skaikru caught within Polis is to be killed on sight.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Clarke said. “None of my people are here. It’s just me. This is not a trap.”

Titus ignored her. “Of course, Heda.”

Lexa turned her eyes back to Clarke as he left.

“Do all your healers carry these things?” 

Lexa gestured to the contents on the floor. The only things she recognized were the syringes, bandages and the red cross on that box.

Clarke nodded. “Most of it, yes. But they’re very rare, especially the medicine. I took them from my people’s limited stock to help yours. Some of it I could probably make myself but…” she paused. “This is why we need each other. With our medical skills and your people's knowledge of natural remedies, we could save so many lives. There’s no reason for us to keep killing each other. We could be allies not enemies.”

Lexa watched her, searching her face for any signs of deception. “And what would you ask in return?”

Clarke cleared her throat. “Allow my people to reclaim Arkadia.”

Lexa scoffed at the idea. “There is no ‘Arkadia.’ Only Skaikru trash on Trikru land.”

Clarke attempted to move towards her but was held back by both guards.

“Please,” she begged. “All I want is a safe place for my people. You have the power to grant us that. This is your chance to end the cycle of violence. Accept me as a gift in good faith, and bring peace to both our people.”

Her voice was a mixture of hope and sadness. And that resonated with Lexa more than the words themselves. But it did not allay her suspicions.

“Why would Skaikru send the leader of its people bound and helpless into the hands of the enemy. I could as easily kill you as accept your offer. Why this... presentation?” Lexa gestured to the chest.

Clarke seemed about to say something then stopped and started again. “There was no other way for us to gain an audience with you. Not with the kill order you’ve placed on my people. Honestly, I expected to be dead by now. But it was worth the risk, if there was even the slightest chance I could meet with you and present my case.”

Clarke paused, then added. “And, besides, I’m not a leader. I’m a healer. And right now we have more healers than people to heal.”

Lexa eyed her doubtfully. “A healer? Yet you burned 300 of my warriors alive and murdered 500 more.”

Lexa saw a flash of anger in Clarke’s eyes. 

“You sent them there to kill us,” Clarke said, her voice as cold as ice. ”Even after we agreed to your terms.”

Lexa narrowed her eyes at the girl and matched her piercing tone.

“I gave your people a chance to evacuate. Instead, you took advantage of my offer to feint.”

The remark sobered Clarke. And Lexa watched as her anger turned to confusion.

“I don’t --” Clarke began but was interrupted by Titus’ reappearance. 

“The guards haven’t found anyone.” He glanced at Clarke then turned back to Lexa. “Have you decided what to do with her yet?”

Lexa hadn’t decided. As she contemplated an answer, it took her so long, Clarke spoke again.

“My offer is genuine. Our people don’t have to be at war. We can help each other. Let me stay here and work for you as a healer. I can prove to you that our people can work together.”

Lexa wanted to believe her. And as she stared into those blue eyes that had so effortlessly captivated her, she knew she wouldn’t be able to kill her. She couldn’t even bring herself to torture her for information about the location of her camp. It was disappointing, really. Why should she care whether this Skaikru girl lived or died? Clarke had taken the lives of hundreds of her people. But it was something about the way she looked at her, as if she truly believed she was the type of leader to seek and pursue peace at all costs, that made Lexa want to accept her offer. 

“You cannot trust her,” Titus said as if sensing her thoughts. “Strike her down now. Our people will rejoice at her death and it will weaken the Azgeda cause.”

Lexa turned to the man who had taught her so much about being a leader. She trusted Titus completely. He had never steered her wrong. But she knew in her heart, she could not bring herself to kill this girl. But she couldn’t trust her either. That left her with only one option.

“Lock her away,” she ordered the guards.

“No! Wait!” Clarke yelled as the guards began pulling her from the room. “Don’t do this!”

Lexa turned away, desperately wanting to cover her ears to block out her screams.

“Wait!" Clarke yelled again. “I can save the boy!”

This got Lexa's attention.

"Stop!" Lexa ordered. She approached Clarke who had been dragged halfway out the door. "What boy?"

Clarke paused as if she was strongly reconsidering whether to say her next words. "Aden."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really thought I hid the secret well, but kudos to bdcvitanov for guessing what the gift was...hopefully the other twists and turns won't be so easy to decipher =)


End file.
